Dispenser for granular materials



May 17, 1955 E, KNQFF 2,708,536 DISPENSER FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS Filed Aug. 27, 1952 United States Patent 2,708,536 DISPENSER FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS Ervin Knolf, Glenwood, Minn. Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,599 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-510) My invention relates to dispensers for granular material and more particularly to dispensers for dispensing salt, sugar, pepper or other granular food products.

The restaurant trade frequently utilizes hopper-like dispensers for filling sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers or the like. dispensing valves which have close working parts which are affected either by corrosion or wear. Also, as in the case of sugar dispensers, gummed up. In any event, the result is that the efliciency of the dispensing valves becomes so materially reduced as to render the dispenser worthless.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described which may be used by the restaurant trade in the filling of sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers and the like and which is provided with novel valve means which is designed to give efiicient service over a long period of time without repair or adjustment.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device of the class described in which there are no closely fitting working parts which may be affected by corrosion, wear, gumming or the like.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a novel dispenser for granular materials in which the efliciency of the dispensing valve is not affected by passage of time and which will cut otf the fiow of granular materials abruptly and etliciently.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claim and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my novel structure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in top plan;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the valve mechanism of Fig. 2 showing a different position of some of the parts; and

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of valve seat.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety a hopper-like reservoir having a bottom 2, an inclined front wall 3, inclined side walls 4, rear wall 5 and a cover 6, a portion 7 of which is removable to permit filling of the hopper 1. The hopper 1 is not intended to be filled beyond the level defined by the point of joinder 8 of the inclined walls 3 and 4 with their vertical upper extensions 9 and 10, re spectively.

A vertically disposed discharge tube 11 extends through the bottom 2 of the hopper 1 and is rigidly secured thereto by solder, welding or the like as indicated at 12. The lower end of the discharge tube 11 projects below the bottom 2 to provide a nozzle 13 and the upper end 14 projects up into the reservoir 1 some little distance. Intermediate the upper end 14 and the bottom 2 said dis- Customarily, these dispensers are provided with these close fitting parts become charge tube is provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced lateral inlet ports 15.

A tubular valve element 16 is concentrically disposed with respect to discharge tube 11 and has the lower end loosely encompassing said discharge tube 11, andits upper end projecting above the normal level of fill 8 of the hopper 1. A cross-pin 17 extends through the valve element 16 and a cross-pin 18 extends through the upper end portion of the discharge tube 11. Interposed between cross-pins 17 and 18 is a coil tension spring 19 which yieldingly biases the valve element 16 toward engagement with the bottom 2. Preferably and as shown, an annular compressible valve seat is interposed between the bottom 2 and the lower end of the tubular valve element 16. As shown, valve seat 20 preferably snugly encompasses the discharge tube 11 and is spaced slightly below the bottom levels of the inlet ports 15.

A lifting link 21 is shown as having its lower end looped around the cross-pin 17 and its upper end projecting through an opening 22 in the cover 6 and is pivotally secured to one end of a lifting lever 23 as indicated at 24. At its intermediate portion lever 23 is pivotally secured, as at 25, intermediate the upper end portions of a pair of vertically disposed bracket forming members 26.

Preferably and as shown, the hopperlike reservoir 1 is supported by legs 27 in vertically spaced relation to a base-plate 28 so as to enable a sugar jar or the like A to be positioned immediately under the nozzle 13.

When it is desired to refill a sugar jar A or the like from a supply of sugar within the reservoir 1, the sugar jar A is placed on the base-plate 28 immediately below the nozzle 13, as shown in Fig. 1, and the free end of the lifting lever 23 is depressed so as to elevate the lower end of the tubular valve element 16 above the level of the bottoms of the inlet ports 15. Obviously, the higher the valve element 16 is lifted (that is until the bottom thereof reaches the level of the top of the inlet ports the greater will be the volume of granular sugar poured through the inlet ports under the action of gravity, and hence downwardly through the nozzle 13 and into the jar A. When the desired level of sugar within the jar A has been reached the pressure on the lifting lever is released and the tubular valve element 16 seats itself against the valve seat 20, under the action of spring 19. As above indicated the valve seat level somewhat of the grains of sugar remaining Within the valve element 16 but not discharged the inlet ports 15. This prevents any grains of sugar being deposited out through the nozzle 13 when not desired, such as during moving of the device from place to place.

Furthermore, as above indicated the efiiciency and durability of the device will not be affected by corrosion, gumming and the like of the valve parts in view of the fact that there are no close tolerances between same.

In the modified structure of Fig. 5 like parts bear like indicia with the exception of the modified form of valve seat shown therein and which is identified by the numeral 29. This valve seat 29 is of the bellows type and comprises an annular washer 30 mounted for vertical movements on the discharge tube 11, below the inlet ports 15, a coil compression spring 31 interposed between washer 30 and the bottom 2 of the hopper 1, and a flexible accordion pleated shroud 32 connecting the bottom 2 and the washer 30 radially outwardly of the spring 31. This type of valve seat is perhaps more compressible than is the rubberlike valve seat 20 and is not so prone to change in this respect with the passage of time.

While I have shown a preferred and modified form of my invention, it should be obvious that same is capable Patented May 17, 1955 laterally through of still further modification without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A dispenser for granular material comprising, a hopper, a vertically disposed discharge tube extending'through the bottom of said hopper and rigidly secured thereto, the lower end of said discharge tube projecting'below said hopper and forming a nozzle and an upper end thereof projecting up into said hopper, a plurality of circumferentially spaced lateral inlet ports in said discharge tube intermediate said bottom and the upper end thereof, a tubular valve element concentrically disposed with respect to said discharge tube with its lower end encompassing said discharge tube and with its upper end projecting above the normal storage level of said hopper, an annular compressible valve seat on the bottom of said hopper around the discharge tube and below the level of the bottom of said inlet ports therein, spring means interposed between said discharge tube and said tubular valve element and biasing said valve element toward a closed position in engagement with said compressible valve seat, and means for raising said valve element above the level of the bottoms of the inlet .ports in said discharge tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

